Spring pad



May 16, 1933. E. c. Moc-:FORD ET Al.

SPRING PAD Filed Sept. 17, 1950 Patented May 16,l 1933 L UNITED. STATESPAIEN 'rcel-FICE ff EISMUND c. MoGFoRD A'N'n` Geenen srATTA, orBUCHANAN, MICHIGAN, -Ass'IGNoBs To ,A CLARKV EQUIPMENT COMPANY, orBUCHANAN, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN SPR-ING PAD Applicationfiled September 17, 1930. Seria1'No.'482,/i01.

This. invention relates to spring pads for tubular front axles. K

In automotive vehicles, the front axles are frequently composed of atubular member 5 consisting of thin'walled tubingV which is formed andforged to the required shape. These axles, while advantageous for thereason that they are considerably lighter than a solid axle of equalstrength, have heretofore been handicapped bythe lack of an inexpensiveyet entirely satisfactory spring pad for attaching the spring to theaxle, the use of a clamping and encircling member or members beingundesirable because of the added weight.

In the past it has been the usual practice to forge or press a springpad of suitable size and shape and to attach it to the tubular axle bywelding. This method isfrequently disadvantageous for the reason 'that'the welds by which the pad is attached to the axle. weakens the tensilestrength ofthe axle and thereby renders it more subject to bendy ing dueto stresses set up in it when the wheels oflthe vehicle strike anunevenspot in the roadand also when the springs rebound after the wheels havepassed such an obstacle. Furthermore, a spring pad of this type imposestensile stress upon the welds V by which thepad is attached to the axleand if these welds are not properly made there isA great likelihood ofthe spring pad being torn loose from the axle by relatively smallstresses and if the welds are properly made there stillremains apossibility of the spring pad being torn looseby shocksand torquesplaced upon the axle, particularly if these shocks tend to rotate theaxle vand at the same time to lift the springs and pad yfrom it. Underthese conditions the edge of the welds is placed under excessivetension. and the pad ymay be peeled ortorn from the axle. K .Y In ourpresent invention, we have provided a new and yimproved spring padcon'-sisting of a forged pad attached to a tubular front axle by means of aforged :band encircling the axle and 'riveted tothe spring pad itself,this band taking all of the tensile stresses which tend to separate thepad from the axle. The edges of the spring pad` are also Welded to theaxle member, these' Welds ybeing` called upon to resist only thestresses tending to turn the. spring pad upon the axle, andvconsequently they do `not need to be as large as the welds usedheretofore and they may therefore be made withoutmaterially weakeningthe axle itself.

Now to acquaint those skilled in theart with the teachingsfof ourinvention reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which apreferredV embodimentfof it-is shown by way of example and in which: I

'Figure l is aplan view of a spring pad attached to an axle, y 1 Figure2 is an elevational view of the pad shown in vFigure l, and l Figure 3is a cross-sectional view take-n substantially along the line 3 3 ofFigureQ looking in the directionof the arrows and with a spring in placeon the pad'.

Referring to the drawing now in more detail, -asection of thin walltubular front axle is indicated atl, and a lspring pad 2 is shownattached thereto in accordance with the teachings of our invention; 1

The spring pad 2 preferably consists-'ofa metallic forging having afiat, upperface 3 containing recesses or Vdepressions' 4 and `5 and aplurality of holes 6, 7,' 8, '9, 10, l1 and l2 all of which are disposedwith their axes normal: to the plane'of the face?) ofthe spring pad. Asimilarly shaped` punching may of course be substituted within theteachings of our invention. The central iole 9 provides a clearance intowhich the screw bolt of a spring assembly can project,

this screw 'bolt assisting in properly'centerwhich the ends of theU-strap 14 extend when projected through the holes 11 and 7 in thespring pad 2. The end 13 of this strap is riveted over at 15 to securelyfasten the spring pad and strap together. The opposite end 16 of thestrap 14 is projected through the hole 7 in the spring seat andprojected into the recess 5 where itis riveted as at 17 to securelyattach the other end of the strap 14 to the spring pad. Preferably theholes 7 and 11 are tapered as shown at 18 and 19 in Figure 3 so that theriveting of the ends of the strap 14 forces that strap out into thetaper to thereby securely bind it to the spring pad. By thisarrangen'ient,

the spring pad is securely attached Vto the tubular axle 1 withoutwelding and the forged strap 14 by which it is attached is Y therebyenabled to take up stresses which tend to separate the'pad from theaxle.

f Thelower face of the pad 2 contains an Y arcuate seat 30 shaped toconform to the perimeter of the axle 1, and bosses 31 and 32 "whichsurround holes 7 and 11 respectively. The inner ends of these bosses arelikelwisevshaped as shown at 33 and 34` to vconform to thecontour of theaxle 1. Ob-

viously if the axle 1 is not round, surfaces 30, 33 and 34 are changedaccordingly so that they remain capable of firmly seating Y the pad .on.the axle.

In order to prevent rotation of the spring pad 2 and strap 14 around theaxle 1 responsive toztorqes set up by the application ofthe brakes andother similar forces, the spring pad 2 is Weldedat 20 and .21 tothe axle1, these welds beingk called upon to resist only the relatively smalltorques tending to rotate the two members with respect to each other.Because the torques that the welds are called upon to resist arerelatively small, the welds are themselves small land canbe made withoutinjuring the walls of the tubular axle.

.The spring assembly indicated generally at 22 in Figure 3 rests uponthe fiat upper face 3 of the spring pad with its screw bolt 23projectinginto the central opening 9 in the spring pad. The springs areattached lto the pad in any preferred manner such as by the bolts 24which project through holes 6, 8, 1'() and 12 in the spring pad andthrough cross links 25 y located above the spring 22. Nuts 26 threadedon the` ends of the bolts and against the upperfsurface of the crosslinks `25 serve to `securely bind the spring 22vto the spring pad 2 andconsequently to lthe axle' 1.

VThe-machine bolts 24` and nuts 26 and plates25 shown in Figure 3 areshown by .way of example only as-any other preferred Yattaching devicemay be employed to attach the spring to the spring pad within theteachings of our invention. For example a forged U-shackle may besubstituted occupied by the bolt heads 27 shown in the drawing.

By this arrangement, the spring pad is securely mounted on the axle andheld thereon by forgings which are of sutiicient strength to resist thestresses placed upon them during the operationr of the vehicle. Anytendencyof the spring pad to turn on the axle is resisted by small weldsand as a result the attachment of the spring pad t0 the axle in no wayweakens the. tensile strength of the axle. The arrangement of the forgedspring pad and strap shown in theV drawing is relatively inexpensive andalso results in a material decrease in the weight of the spring pad,since the employment of largevheavy U-b'olts completelyencircling theaxle and springs is eliminated.

While we have chosen to show our invention by illustrating a preferredembodiment of it,- we have done so by Away of example only as there aremany modifications .and adaptations which can be made by one skilled inthe art within the teachingsA of our invention. f l

Having thus `complied with the statutes and shown and describedapreferred embodiment of our invention, what wecon- Sider new and desireto have-protected by Letters Patent is pointed out in the. appendedclaims.

lVVhat is claimed is:

1.7A spring pad comprising a unitary saddlemember having a plurality ofholes througlrit, a seat shaped to conform to the contour-ofthe axle. onwhich the saddle-V member is to be placed, -a Lflat seat -on which thespring rests, and-a U band encircling the axle andprojecting throughcertain ones of said vholesand riveted adjacent said Hat seat to holdthepad on the axle..

2. AA spring. pad for tubular axles comprising a forging having' vaplurality `of holes, a seat conforming tothe contour of the axle, ayflat seat on which the spring rests, counterbores in said flat seat, aband section, a spring pad having alseat portion resting on the axle,said pad having holes on opposite sides of said seat, and ,la 'U'-shaped clip having a thinstrap portion at its middle and rod-like Shanksat itsends,

said clip engaging the axle and the Shanks extending through the holes,said holes being enlarged at their upper ends, the upper ends of theShanks having holding means disposed in said recesses, there being Weldsbetween the pad and the axle t0 resist torsional stresses between them.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 13th day ofSeptember, 1930.

EDMUND C. MOGFORD. GEORGE SPATTA.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTIGN.

Patent No. 1, 908,856. May 16, 1933.

EDMUND C. MOGFORD, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error' appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,line 112, claim 2, for "forging" read "saddle member"; and that the saidLetters Patent shoulel be read with this correction therein that thcsame may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day ot' August, A. D. i933.

M. J. Moore.

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

